The Progress Of Two Fists
by HatesBugs
Summary: Sequel to The Tale of Two Coppers. Vi and Cait are enjoying their life together until they finally catch Jinx. Their relationship deteriorates immensely. From that point, things get worse as Viktor unleashes his Battlecast army against Valoran. Which will come first, death or forgiveness? Rated T for suggestive and foul language. Also, it may be quite different from the prequel.
1. Chapter 1

**[Disclaimer: This is a fan based fanfiction. I OWN NOTHING. These characters and places are owned by Riot] **

I appreciate any reviews you are willing to share with me. Let me know what you think! Happy reading ;)

Edit 1: Thanks to the feedback, I found some rushed-ness in two scenes and corrected them (I hope). Muchas Gracias to Sam-spirit-of-the-forest for that!

Edit 2: Multiple fixes in general. Many thanks to MilandaAnza for the insight!

* * *

Chapter 1: Vi stands for Vilify.

It was the happy days, when there was no animosity and hatred between the two coppers.

Each morning when she was on duty, Vi would come in to work, greeting everyone with her electrifying voice, bringing warmth and energy to the Piltover Patrol. She'd then speed up to the Sheriff's office to plant her lover a kiss. Caitlyn would feel motivated to work through the day, knowing that she was loved.

" Kiss as much as you want, but if you're late then you're late, Vi. " Caitlyn said, licking her lips to feel the lingering taste of the pinkette. Try as hard as she might, but the sweetness of Vi's lips were irresistible. Still, Vi had to be reminded that she was a woman of the law, and that she had to follow the rules.

" Classic over-rewardin' , Cupcake. Now what's supposed to tempt me to arrive early? Do I get to _not _kiss you? " Vi teased, her eyes travelling over Caitlyn's figure.

Caitlyn felt Vi's hungry gaze. " What's better than a kiss? That's your answer. Now move along. " Caitlyn replied with a wink before shoving Vi out of her office.

" _Ohhh myyy_…Aren't you gettin' quite bold, Cupcake? " Vi whistled, effortlessly fighting against Caitlyn's shoving, unwilling to leave so soon. " You wanna get down and dirty in broad daylight in front of the entire Piltover Patrol? Oh, I'm definitely on_ this_ case. " Vi added as her mouth watered at the thought.

" Keep dreaming, love. " Caitlyn chuckled as Vi finally exited her office. _Gosh she can be such a handful sometimes….not that it was a bad thing. _

It had been a few months after Caitlyn had begun her relationship with Vi, the Piltover Enforcer and part-time womaniser. Well, not much of a womaniser now. True to her word, Vi had refused to hit on any other woman, trying her best to make the relationship the two had work. Although the pinkette's lavender-coloured eyes would occasionally stare at an ass or two, before quickly retracting her gaze, fighting against her womaniser instincts. Caitlyn always caught her in the act though. The Sheriff _was _the best detective around, after all. Virtually nothing went by her unnoticed. She always _punished_ Vi for those acts afterwards.

_Hmm, better get back to work before I remember those fuzzy cuffs._

Smiling to herself, Caitlyn quickly resumed her duties.

A soft knock on the door was heard.

" Come in. " Caitlyn responded as she put down her pen.

Her blonde secretary, Miss Holly entered with a smile.

Miss Holly used to be really nervous around her, but with Vi's skilled coaching, Caitlyn had eventually managed to get the woman to befriend her. The same went for several other members of the Piltover Patrol. Caitlyn really couldn't thank Vi enough. It was as if the woman had filled out the void she had in her life. Made her…whole.

" Good news, Sheriff, the upgrades on the city's defences are finally complete. " she explained as she handed Caitlyn a file on the upgrades. It was important to constantly update the city's defences as many criminals would always attempt to outsmart the system or try to find a loophole somewhere. The constant upgrades would keep those ambitious criminals at bay.

" Thank you, Miss Holly. You are dismissed." Caitlyn said, giving the blondie a nod in appreciation for her hard work.

" Oh, I actually have another report, Sheriff. " Holly replied, looking a bit worried.

" What is it? " Caitlyn asked, her eyebrows raised. She knew that she had no other reports due at this time.

" Jinx was seen in the town hall. Vi is heading there as we speak. " the secretary explained.

_Ugh, not her again._

Caitlyn loathed the mere thought of Jinx, more so if she had to see the girl. That lunatic was just worthless trouble, causing destruction and chaos just for the fun of it. Vi seemed to hate the girl a lot. Never had Caitlyn seen the Enforcer work so hard to bring a criminal to justice. As such, every time Vi handled Jinx, Vi got closer and closer to catching her. It was almost a question of _when _Jinx would be captured rather than _if_.

Seemingly pleased with herself for internally praising her lover, Caitlyn donned her top hat, along with the long coat that Vi hated so much for hiding Caitlyn's assets. It was always the first thing Vi would remove. _Oh Gosh, I am just obsessed with these thoughts now, aren't I? What has Vi done to me? Well, besides applying that sensational magic with her hands an- Dammit Caitlyn! Focus! Sheriff time!_

* * *

" Are…you for real?" Caitlyn asked in disbelief, her mouth agape.

" Like you wouldn't believe, Cupcake. " Vi smirked, maintaining a vice-like grip on her 'trophy'.

Between Vi's gauntlets was a blue haired criminal by the name of Jinx, who was kicking wildly at the air as Vi kept her held high above the ground. Jinx was laughing maniacally, whether in joy or despair or anger was unknown to Caitlyn. But that didn't matter, because at long last, Jinx had been caught.

Vi tightly strapped Jinx to a steel table, which several other cops wheeled to a temporary cell until Jinx would be given a sentence.

" You really are the finest, Vi. " Caitlyn praised, beaming at the pinkette who seemed to never fail to impress her. Vi seemed to have gotten a few new wounds from her fight against Jinx, most notably a cut across Vi's shoulder. Caitlyn also realised that Vi had a grim look on her face, eyes downcast. "…Vi?"

" Hm? Oh yeah, sure. " Vi replied softly, removing her gauntlets and letting them rest on her leg plates which held them in place.

" Aren't you glad? We can finally- "

" Help her. "

" Lock her up for good. "

An awkward silence hung above them.

" The hell? " Vi said, her voice dangerously low. " Lock her up for good? What the fuck, Cait?! " she shouted, her voice echoing throughout the Piltover Patrol.

" I- Well, I thought that we- " Caitlyn stammered, taken aback by Vi's sudden anger. _What was she so angry about? Didn't she hate Jinx the most? A punch to the face seemed more likely, but instead Vi wanted to _help_ Jinx?_

" Of course we're goin' to help her! Why else were we tryin' so hard to catch her in the first place? " Vi bellowed, shaking her fists. " I…I thought we could help her…try to make her sane again…let her live a _normal _life or somethin'. Fuck, I don't know…." Vi mumbled, crouching down to the floor and bringing a hand to massage her temples.

_What in the world? _Caitlyn couldn't believe her ears. _Was that why she tried so hard to bring Jinx in? To let her live a normal life? Maybe this was Vi's compassion for other criminals in play here._ Vi knew criminals best because she used to actually be one. This also meant she understood why people resorted to crime, whether the reasons were good or bad.

" I…don't think she's going to get such a lucky sentence, Vi. " Caitlyn admitted, placing her hand on Vi's shoulder. " She…did cause mayhem all across Piltover, destroyed countless homes, and occasionally caused the deaths of a lot of innocents. I think she'll…be in for the worst. " Jinx really didn't have much of a chance in her judgement.

Vi's face went pale. " B-but she's crazy! Doesn't that pardon her of those crimes? She's not doin' it consciously or whatever, you know. "

Caitlyn shook her head. " I'm afraid not. " _I've never seen her like this before…she must have really wanted to help Jinx._

Vi suddenly shot up. A dangerous look flashed in her lavender eyes. She re-equipped her hextech gauntlets and broke into a sprint.

_Oh Crap! She's snapped! _" Vi! " Caitlyn yelled after her, but Vi was long gone. Caitlyn rushed for the pinkette, hoping Vi wasn't about to do something incredibly stupid.

Caitlyn dashed through the corridor, heading for Jinx's temporary cell. Several _thuds_ were heard nearby, quickly followed by painful groans. _Dammit Vi! Don't do this!_ She wished she could have been able to move faster, cursing herself for being unable to match Vi's speed.

When she finally reached Jinx's cell, her jaw dropped, eyes wide with horror.

_Holy…_

In that room, five guards with swollen faces laid on the floor unconscious. Caitlyn could see that three of them had a broken jaw, with blood pouring out of it, while the other two had a crushed nose. Caitlyn subconsciously lifted her hand to her face, feeling her own jaw and nose, glad that they were still in one piece. She assumed that the five guards were the source of the thuds and groans from before. Further into the room was a cell that had its bars bent open. In the cell itself, there was a dented table that had several belts strapping a strange red creature. Upon closer inspection, Caitlyn's flesh crawled as she realised that the 'creature' was actually the body of a girl, split in half, following the dent that the table had. The redness was, as Caitlyn came to another sickening conclusion, the girl's own blood colouring her. Looking at the girl's head, there was only a splatter of flesh, eyeballs, brain tissue, teeth and blood. Caitlyn wanted to throw up badly, the sight greatly unsettling her. She finally remembered that the mutilated girl was in fact Jinx, the Loose Cannon, who had been wheeled into the cell moments ago.

Caitlyn glanced around the room nervously, hoping that there was someone else responsible for this crime, although it was already blatantly obvious who the culprit was. There was only one person she knew of that could have broken five grown adults' faces, bend steel and utterly destroy a human body. _Please, tell me you didn't do this, Vi._ Caitlyn begged. But the reality was harsh to Caitlyn. It showed her an abandoned pair of gauntlets that were stained with crimson liquid, along with numerous pieces of flesh that clung onto the metal surface of the gauntlet. They laid in a pool of blood next to the dented table. Beside them was a kneeling woman with dishevelled hair. Caitlyn felt herself dying. It was Vi.

The pinkette closed her face with her hands, bending down and pressing her head against the blood soaked floor. " I'm sorry, Kelly…" she muttered weakly.

_Kelly? _Caitlyn had no clue who that was. But right now she was more concerned with Vi.

" Vi…tell me you didn't…" Caitlyn said with a shaky voice, taking wary steps towards the pinkette.

Vi slowly raised her head off the floor, fresh blood dripped from her hair, trickling down her face. Caitlyn cringed at the sight.

" Cait….I'm so sorry…I-I couldn't let you lock her up here." Vi said in a murmur, staggering to her feet. Caitlyn had never seen Vi look so…unstable. It was way worse than when Vi was drunk. " I had to do this, Cait! " she yelled, nearly losing her balance doing so.

Finding her voice, Caitlyn responded. " Give me your badge, Enforcer. "

" Please hear me out, Cupcake. Don't…Don't be the Sheriff right now. " Vi pled, reaching out for Caitlyn.

" That's an order! " the Sheriff shouted, roughly pushing away Vi's trembling hand. _You're making me do this, Vi. I can't just ignore this._

" Listen to me, Goddammit! " Vi shouted back to Caitlyn's face, furious with her lover's reaction.

" Just give me your badge. " the Sheriff repeated. " I'm relieving you fro- "

Vi threw her badge at the Sheriff's face, interrupting her. The Sheriff sighed in frustration as the badge fell to the floor, a vein showing on her forehead.

" Happy now? " Vi asked, her voice full of venom.

" _Now_ you turn around and get on your knees. " the Sheriff replied, bringing out a pair of handcuffs. _I can't just let you go. You murdered someone in cold blood!_

" Is that what you told your mother last nigh- "

" DO IT! " the Sheriff interrupted.

" Or what?! " Vi snapped, her eyes of fire. " You're gonna get that guy who can make me? What was his name again? Oh wait, he doesn't exist! " Vi taunted, knowing that there wasn't anyone under Caitlyn's command who could stop Vi if they tried.

In a swift motion, the Sheriff brought up her rifle, aiming at Vi. " Don't make me shoot you in the bloody head. " she threatened, her trigger finger ready. _Seriously Vi, don't make me._

" Try me, _Sheriff_. " Vi said, balling up her fists, ready for a fight.

Caitlyn hated it when Vi called her a Sheriff since it always meant that their relationship was cracking. "Are you serious!? You want to try dodging my bullet point blank?! I'll blast your head off before you can even blink!" the Sheriff warned, her finger gripping the trigger closely. _Dammit, Vi! Stop egging me on! I don't want to do this if I don't have to!_

Instead of an answer, Vi lunged for the Sheriff.

The Sheriff pulled the trigger.

A bullet shot forth, hitting Vi in the chest. Instead of piercing Vi's lungs, however, it sent 50,000 volts of electricity through the woman's body, hijacking the central nervous system. It was enough to incapacitate an adult for a while. But Vi was no ordinary adult. The Taser probe barely fazed her as she continued to go for the Sheriff's head.

Vi threw a punch at Caitlyn, who narrowly ducked out of the way.

" Alright, alright! I don't want to fight you, Vi. Just tell me why you did it. " Caitlyn relented. _It must be pretty serious if Vi was willing to fight _me.

" Oh _now _you're interested. It must have absolutely _nothin' _to do with how I'm tryin' to punch your teeth down your throat! " Vi snapped, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

_I'm going to need more than just one shot to take _this _woman down. _Caitlyn launched two more rounds which connected with Vi's left thigh. The shock managed to halt Vi's movements for half a second, before Vi managed to shake it off, throwing yet another punch at the Sheriff. Vi's movements were getting slower and slower however, so Caitlyn found that dodging Vi's punches was a much simpler task now.

Vi launched a punch aimed for Caitlyn's mouth, which Caitlyn evaded with a step to the back. But that was just a diversion as Vi drove her other set of knuckles straight into Caitlyn's gut, causing the Sheriff to double over, almost being split into half. Next, Vi struck Caitlyn down with a heavy punch to the spine.

The Sheriff fell onto the ground hard, flat on her back. Her knuckles were white as they clutched her rifle. She knew that if she lost the weapon, she would most certainly be beaten to death.

Vi mounted her, grabbing Caitlyn's throat with both hands.

" I trusted you!" Vi roared with her teeth clenched.

" And ...so...did...I!" Caitlyn said as she struggled against Vi choking the life out of her. Shakily bringing her rifle up to Vi's body, she zapped Vi once again with a Taser round.

" I...loved you..." Vi managed weakly, her grip on Caitlyn's throat loosening. The Tasers were finally doing their job now. One more would do it.

" And so did I..." Caitlyn said as her voice cracked. She zapped Vi for the fifth time, causing Vi to collapse beside her.

Caitlyn sat up, feeling the marks Vi's hands had left on her neck. As she glanced over at the pinkette, she threw her rifle to a wall, scattering its parts all over the room._ How did we end up like this...?_

* * *

Two months later.

_ClapClapClap._ _ClapClapClap._

" 1350, 1351, 1352, 1353. " A heavily tattooed, lone woman in a grey tank top and black sweatpants counted as she performed triple clap push-ups in her prison cell.

The sound of footsteps were heard.

" Enforcer? " a blonde woman called out.

" I'm not an Enforcer anymore, remember? " Vi replied as she continued to perform ten more push-ups. _Not since two months ago, anyway._ "1363, 1364, 1365, 1366."

" We have to go meet the Mayor. " Miss Holly explained.

" 'S he bringin' hookers? " Vi asked interestedly, turning to face Miss Holly with a mischievous smile.

" I...uh...I don't think so. " Holly answered, looking away in embarrassment.

" Then I don't care. " Vi said, retracting her gaze from the secretary and returning her focus to her workout.

" Vi, this is important! " Holly cried, banging her hands on the prison bars. " We _need_ you! "

" Is that why he shut down my lab? Sentenced me to life in prison? " Vi asked sarcastically.

" You killed someone in cold blood and assaulted six officers, Vi!" Holly retorted with a frown. " What did you expect?"

" I dunno, would a limousine have been too much? " Vi joked with a wicked smirk.

" Well that...that doesn't matter now..." she replied, her frown fading, and instead a smile was etched onto her face in relief. " The world needs you now. As such, we've pardoned your crimes and reinstated you...Enforcer. "

" Sounds great, but I'm gonna have to say: _No._ " Vi shot down the offer with a teasing tone.

" VI!" Holly squeaked.

Vi threw her head back in laughter. _Oh man, I love windin' this girl up._

" I'm just messin' around, gurl, lighten the hell up! " Vi giggled, standing up. She then walked over to the prison bars in slow, lazy steps. _I know she said 'twas important, but she didn't say 'twas urgent, did she?_ Using her hands to grab the steel bars, Vi bent them open_. _Walking out, she saw Miss Holly staring in astonishment.

" You could do that? All along? " she asked in disbelief, wondering why Vi hadn't escaped for the past two months. _Must be like a vacation to her, I guess._

" Mmm, you like that? " Vi said, flexing her tight muscles. " I could show you some other cool tricks I can do….If you're interested. " Vi said as she lifted Holly's chin, allowing her lavender eyes to pierce the secretary's green ones.

Quivering from Vi's touch, Holly absent-mindedly gave a half-nod, before quickly changing her mind. " I um…uh…yes- err I mean no. " she stammered.

" Let's get to the Mayor's, then. " Vi said, trying to contain her laughter.

" A-At once! "

The secretary hurriedly ushered Vi out of the prison, bringing Vi to a parked limousine.

_So he _did _get me a limousine! _" You drivin' ? " Vi asked, pointing at the driver's seat with her thumb.

" I…was told you could handle that. " Holly replied sheepishly.

Vi smirked. _Damn, this girl is too cute! _" Well, then…" the Enforcer said as she walked over to open the car door for Holly. " Please have a seat. " she said smoothly.

With her face bright red, Holly accepted, settling down into the car. Vi quickly jogged over to her own seat, strapping herself in.

" Buckle up, baby. " Vi said with a wink. Holly quickly fastened her seatbelt, though it required a few tries as the first few attempts had been lamely unsuccessful. Finally strapped in, Holly saw Vi tittering at her seat.

" Stop laughing and start driving! " Holly squeaked again.

" Ooooh, bein' bossy, eh? I can dig that. " Vi nodded approvingly.

Holly cursed herself for losing her cool. _Damn, Vi is just relentless! I don't know how the Sheriff had put up with her as long as she did. _Maybe because Vi's charms were so irresistible? _Oh man, I'm in trouble!_

As they drove down the street, Holly took a peek at Vi's face, hoping to catch a glimpse of those lavender eyes. But Vi had her eyes closed.

" Vi…? " she called out nervously. In the car, Holly was at Vi's mercy, since Vi was the one behind the wheel.

" What 's it, darlin' ? " Vi asked, tapping her fingers happily on the steering wheel.

" Eyes on the road, please? " Holly pled, seeing an incoming bend up ahead.

" Hmm, I dunno, darlin'. My eyes are kinda dry…" Vi complained, taking her hands off the wheel and rubbing her eyes. " If only there were someone who could give me a _big, wet_ kiss…"

" Vi! The road! " Holly shrieked, seeing that the curve was only a few metres away now.

But Vi was only puckering her lips, waiting for the kiss.

_For the love of-!_

Holly gave in to Vi's request, kissing Vi full on the lips like the Enforcer had demanded.

Immediately, Vi spun the wheel, saving them from crashing.

" Mmmh…Strawberry! " Vi remarked, licking her lips.

The blondie saw that Vi still had her eyes closed.

" Y-you tricked me! " Holly cried, hitting Vi with her fists. _Vi knew that bend was coming!_ " I thought we were going to die! "

Laughing off the painless assault, Vi replied. " I know these streets like the back of my hand, gurl. " The pinkette then caressed Holly's cheek. " Besides, I'd never put _you _in danger. " she cooed.

Holly felt herself shiver in excitement as Vi's fingers trailed down her cheek lovingly. She couldn't resist Vi anymore. Holly threw herself at Vi, disregarding the fact that they were on the road in a speeding car.

* * *

" Vi has arrived, Mayor. " the Mayor's secretary reported, leading Vi into the Mayor's office.

Inside, Vi saw the Mayor, along with two familiar faces, Jayce…and the Sheriff.

" Suuup! " Vi greeted them all casually, waving her hand at them.

" Nice to see you again, Vi! " Jayce greeted back, hugging the pinkette. Vi and Jayce had been best friends for a long time. When the man had first heard of Vi's 'misconduct', he thought it was just another exaggeration, but as it turns out it was true. Even so, he knew that Vi had her reasons. _Vi's not stupid. She _had _to know the consequences, but she did it anyway._

" You too, bruh " Vi greeted back.

" Where's Holly? " Jayce asked, glancing around expectantly.

" Oh you know, just passed out in the car from…_exhaustion_. " Vi said, bursting into giggles, along with Jayce who caught on to her meaning.

Vi noticed the Sheriff looking at her when she said that.

Vi then strode up to the Sheriff and spat in her face.

" Sup Bitch."

" Vi- "

" I've got five reasons for you to shut up. "

" And what woul-"

Vi punched her in the face, hearing the Sheriff's face crack as she did so.

Caitlyn fell to the ground, clutching her broken nose in agony.

" That's for shockin' me with 50000 volts of electricity with that Taser round two months ago. _Five times.__ "_ Vi said icily. _Most people say revenge is a dish best served cold, but I think revenge is a dish best served with a punch to the face! _

Caitlyn coughed out some blood.

" So what's all this about? " Vi asked the Mayor, ignoring the Sheriff's reaction.

The Mayor realised that he must have flinched, since Vi had a smug grin on her face. Almost as if to dare him to say something about her hitting his Sheriff like that. He saw Jayce shaking his head in warning, although he would never even dare speak out against that monster of a woman. Feeling somewhat defeated, he got down to business.

" We got a transmission from Ezreal. " he replied, turning on a big monitor. The screen displayed Ezreal who seemed scared shitless. He pointed towards Bandle City, which seemed to be under attack by unknown machines. Ezreal screamed " It's Viktor's army! They're wiping out Bandl- " Just then, a red beam of light flashed across the screen, ending the transmission.

" Viktor…that fuckin' maniac's finally come out of hidin', eh?" Vi smirked, cupping one of her hands and punching it with her other fist. " Time to bust his head. "

" It's not that simple, Vi. Viktor is more advanced than us, due to the fact that he has transcended beyond human limits, processing information tirelessly and optimally." Jayce explained.

" Yeah, no shit. " Vi scoffed. _I don't need to be reminded of _that _bunch of crap again._

" In addition, his army is made up of powerful and intelligent mechanised war machines, who won't know hesitation nor pity." Jayce continued.

The Mayor added. " While Piltover is one of the_ least_ militarised city-states in Valoran. If they strike, we die. "

Just as the Mayor uttered those words, Vi saw a bright red flash from outside the window behind the mayor's desk. _I think I know what that means. Thanks for the heads up, Ezreal._

" EVERYBODY OUT!" Vi yelled, as she ran for the door.

Caitlyn hadn't noticed the red light, as she was too busy bleeding out from her nose.

_Oh come on, I was goin' easy on you! _Vi cursed as she lifted Caitlyn off her feet and quickly dashed for the exit.

But she was too late.

A red beam blasted through the room, destroying everything in its wake.

In an act of desperation, Vi shielded Caitlyn with her own body, despite not having her blast shield to protect them. But Vi didn't give a fuck about that right now. With the luck of the devil, the blast missed them, but the force of the blast caused the two women to soar high into the air, knocking them into the wall, although Vi took the brunt of it in order to cushion the impact for Caitlyn. Vi did the same as they fell back onto the ground. The massive impact caused Vi's head to spin momentarily before she shook it off. Vi got up and quickly examined the woman in her arms. Caitlyn had her eyes closed and wasn't moving.

" Cait! " Vi yelled, clasping Caitlyn's hand._ Don't you die on me before I fuckin' forgive you!_

Caitlyn responded, waking up. "….what just…"

With a sigh of relief, Vi held Caitlyn close. " Don't worry your pretty lil' head about it, alright? Imma get you to safety. " she reassured. Vi cautiously monitored her surroundings, seeing Jayce who was checking on the Mayor, only to find that the Mayor no longer had a pulse. _The Mayor's dead...__Meh._

Jayce then bolted for the exit, quickly followed by Vi and Caitlyn. Just as they did so, another beam blasted through the Mayor's office, which would have most likely killed them had they been a second later.

" How did they get past our defences…? I always updated them…" Caitlyn pondered aloud, a tinge of guilt in her voice. She seemed to think she hadn't done a good enough job.

" Look, you did your best, ok? I think your efforts must have slowed them down at least. But that mad scientist 's just way ahead of us. " Vi comforted the Sheriff, running her hand through Caitlyn's silky midnight blue hair. " We'll get him back for this, I promise. " _We are definitely gettin' him back for _everythin'.

The three of them made it out of the Mayor's estate, where they were greeted by Holly in the limousine. Vi cursed internally. _If it weren't for this whole situation, she'd probably be up for round two. Damn._

" Get in! " she screamed.

Before they could answer, the red laser came once again, heading towards the car.

Vi swore. _Whatever that shit 's, 'tis locked on to us._ Passing Caitlyn to Jayce, Vi lunged for the car, shoving it out of the way.

The displacement allowed them to barely avoid being vaporised to death as the beam ravaged the streets where the car had been moments ago. The force of the blast threatened to flip the car over, but Vi used all her might to prevent that.

" Vi! You…you saved my life! " she cried, kissing the pinkette.

_Oh yeah! Now _that's _a thank you! _ "I told you I wouldn't put you in danger. " Vi said as she kissed Holly back.

Vi found herself stealing a glance at the Sheriff, who didn't look their way, but was biting her lip.

" Heh-hem! " Jayce cleared his throat loudly, making the two women break the kiss. " We've got to get out of here, remember? "

" Bah, Jayce, you mood-killer! " Vi lamented, throwing her head back in disappointment.

Holly giggled as Jayce rolled his eyes.

The four of them strapped themselves into the car, with Vi in the driver seat while Caitlyn sat in the back. Holly struggled with her seatbelt before Vi graciously fastened the seatbelt for her, throwing a playful wink at the blondie. A muscle in Caitlyn's jaw twitched. The Enforcer then floored the accelerator, speeding across Piltover while deftly evading any laser that locked onto them.

" What's the plan? " Caitlyn asked Jayce, massaging her head.

" Plan? I don't need a plan. " Vi answered for him, swerving the car to avoid yet another laser.

" How's _that_ worked out for you? " Caitlyn frowned.

" I caught _Jinx_. " Vi shrugged.

Silence.

" Anyway…" Jayce said, noticing the tension. " Piltover doesn't stand a chance against Viktor's army since we don't exactly have a military. So we need the help of people who do. "

" Like Demacia, Noxus and the Freljord? But those three were just recently at war with each other, their forces must already be drained by now. " Caitlyn responded, raising an eyebrow.

" I guess that's why Viktor struck now of all times. " Vi chimed in. " Fuckin' opportunist. "

" They're all we have, and they'll have to do if we even want to have a chance at beating Viktor." Jayce responded with a grave look on his face. He obviously wished they had better odds.

Something caught Vi's eye. " I see it! To the left, some flyin' mech with tendrils or somethin'." Vi told the others, who looked to the left. It was a few hundred metres away, but its lasers that blasted from a red 'eye' still managed to reach them. Judging from its size at this distance, it was about two kilometres tall. _Where the fuck did Viktor find _that_ thing?_

" Another one to the right! " Vi said, beads of sweat trickling down her forehead as she manoeuvred the car to dodge two beams from either side. " I don't think running's gonna work, especially if a turd one shows up." Vi said with a laugh, pleased with her pun.

Everyone, bar Caitlyn, laughed at the joke, even if it was pretty misplaced. Vi really knew how to make light of a dire situation.

_Ka-thunk!_

The sound of the car's hood being pierced by metal was heard. Even though Vi hadn't hit the brakes, the car refused to move forward. Peering out of the rear mirror, Vi saw a machine which seemed like it was a huge scorpion of some sort. Its stinger had hooked the car, preventing them from moving.

Vi thought of hitting reverse and ramming into it, but saw the scorpion also had saws equipped on its hands. _Wow Viktor, are you cereal?_ Vi muttered several profanities at Viktor before yelling "Out!"

The four people obeyed, with the last person being Vi herself in order to hold down the accelerator. The beautiful, slick and shiny limousine crashed gracefully against the scorpion, its insides torn to shreds by the machine's saws.

Staring at the mecha-scorpion, as well as knowing that two more tendril-laser-machines were nearby, Vi knew that the four of them that were unarmed hardly stood a chance. _But so what? I've been through worse. _

The scorpion charged for them, mainly after Vi. The pinkette dodged to the side, away from her companions. The machine spun around, only to be met with hexplosives that were launched from behind Vi. Glancing behind her, Vi saw a yordle in goggles that had a mad grin on his face, juggling around several bombs.

_Ziggs!_

" I called him and several others, thought they could help. " Holly explained.

_Oh man, that girl's a godsend. _Vi capitalised on Ziggs assault, rushing up to the scorpion's head and smashing it down into the ground, neutralising it._ Get Dunked!_

But Viktor's invasion wasn't so pathetic. The five of them were quickly surrounded by even more machines. This time they were almost crab-like and looked ugly as hell. _Seriously Viktor, you are literally scrapin' the bottom of the barrel now. _Vi raised her fists, ready to lay the smack-down on them.

But she didn't need to, the Zeppelin 'Tailwind' arrived, blasting all of the crabs into dust with its cannons.

_Janna?_

The hatch opened, inviting the five of them in.

Ziggs placed a satchel charge underneath them, which would harmlessly knock them into the airship if detonated. The Hexplosives Expert then beckoned the rest of them toward it. Holly looked uncertain, fidgeting nervously. Vi slid her arm around the shaking woman, reassuring her. " 'Tis gonna be alright. " she soothed. Convinced, Holly went on to stand beside Ziggs, quickly followed by the Sheriff. Jayce, however, didn't seem to move.

" Aww, you need me to cuddle you too, Jayce? " Vi joked, opening her arms as if ready to embrace a little boy.

" I'm going to stay here, Vi. " Jayce said with a look of determination in his powder-blue eyes. " Piltover needs someone to lead it to safety. "

" I should tag along then. " Vi replied, cracking her knuckles. " I'm no diplomat, after all. I'm supposed to be where the _action_ is. "

" Which is exactly why you _shouldn't _tag along! " Jayce retorted, taking a few steps towards the pinkette. " We need you when we launch an attack. Because when you hit something…"

" I hit it hard." Vi finished for him, punching her hands together. " Still, even if we get those countries to help, I doubt they can do much else other than swing their swords around. It won't be much help against lasers and saws, y'know? Just sayin'. " _Well, 'twas the truth. Viktor's machines would just annihilate them in a flash._

" Not on their own. Piltover has the tech but not the soldiers. They have the soldiers but not the tech. If we join forces, we should tip the scales in our favour. " Jayce explained.

" 'Tis never that simple, Jayce. " Vi said as her face darkened. _Brains and brawl were at times like oil and water. Would those 'chivalrous' knights really accept something that would dwarf their own strength? 'Twas unlikely._

" Then keep it simple. Isn't that what you do? " Jayce said, throwing his fists in a one-two motion.

" Touche, asshole. " Vi grinned, flipping her middle finger at the man. The two burst into laughter.

Vi then turned around and strolled to the satchel charge. " See ya, Jayce. Be back in a bit. "

" If I'm alive, I'll welcome the company. " Jayce said, trying to prevent his grim face from showing and instead donning his usual charming smile.

Vi didn't fall for it. _You better stay alive you piece of shit._

* * *

**Yeah, new series! (Sort of)**

**Afterthoughts:** So this began when I remembered how I had bought the Battlecast Vel'koz skin because it reminded me of the Reapers (I'm a fan of Mass Effect too.) So this story is mostly inspired from that. In a way you could think of this as a crossover, I guess ;)

This chapter is kinda long. Also, Cait and Vi also don't share much moments in this story (yet). Pardon me.

I tried to weave in more of the characters' feelings into the story, so I hope you all noticed that. If not, I'm sorry and I'll try harder to get into their heads. Until the next chapter then.

Good day!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Sorry for the long delay. Had too much fun on URF, lol. 10/10 wurf. Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 2: Vi stands for Vituperate

" Where are we headed, Vi? " Janna asked over her shoulder as she steered the 'Tailwind'.

" The Ironspike Mountains. " Vi replied with a firm voice.

" The Ironspike Mountains? Roger that. " a navigator responded from the wheelhouse. " Setting a course for the Ironspike Mountains now. "

" Why there? " Janna asked , raising an eyebrow.

" Some 'ingredients'. " Vi replied with a smirk. " To cook up those soldiers some tech. "

" We don't even know if they'll help us though. " Janna replied with a crestfallen look. " What if they won't listen? "

" Then I'll _make_ them listen. " Vi answered simply, punching her fists together.

Janna couldn't help a giggle. " These are soldiers, Vi. I don't think a little punching's going to intimidate them. "

" Even better! I get to punch them _a lot_! " Vi laughed, followed by an equally enthusiastic laugh from Janna.

" It's great to see you again, Vi. " Janna remarked, temporarily turning away from the wheel to beam at the pinkette.

" Same here. " Vi beamed back. " I'll leave you to it then. " Vi said as she gave Janna a playful salute.

Janna nodded and resumed her duties as Vi exited the command bridge.

Vi walked up to the upper deck, entering the lounge. There, she saw a woman clumsily trying to patch up her face. Caitlyn was fumbling with some medical supplies. Her face was red and swollen where Vi had punched her, making it a bit difficult to breathe.

_She deserved it._ Ignoring her guilt, Vi walked away, grabbing a drink from the bar next door and returning to the lounge. She sat down on a chair quite a distance from Caitlyn, sipping her drink and placing her feet on a nearby table.

Caitlyn glanced at Vi furiously, seeing Vi downing a beer without a care in the world.

" I don't suppose you're here to _help_ me. " Caitlyn snarled, feeling her face scorching in pain now that the rush of adrenaline was over.

" 'Tis no skin off _my _nose, I assure you. " Vi laughed uncaringly, not looking at Caityln.

" OH HA HA. Real funny Vi." Caitlyn spat.

Vi's jaw tightened as she heard the sarcasm in Caitlyn's voice. She looked back at Caitlyn, whose face was contorted in agony.  
_Fuck._

A look of concern flashed over the pinkette's face. Heaving a deep sigh, Vi discarded her drink as she hurried over to her ex.

" You're doing it wrong, Cait. Let me. " Vi offered, bending down over Caitlyn.

" Why do you even care? You're the one who did this you know. " Caitlyn snapped, trying to push Vi away.

Vi grimaced, watching Caitlyn who seemed to have no idea what she was doing. Back in the good days, Vi would always fix Caitlyn up for her. Vi had learned some basic medical practices from her time on the streets. Whether her teacher was a real doctor or not was questionable, but what the man did worked, so Vi had no complaints.

" Shut the full-cupcake, Cait. I swear you're makin' it worse. " Vi said as she repelled Caitlyn's feeble resistance and snatched the medical supplies from her. Without the Sheriff's approval, Vi quickly worked on the broken nose. Caitlyn tried to slip away, but Vi was having none of it. She held her patient still, working expertly on the wound.

" Stop. " Caitlyn ordered, frowning.

" That wasn't our safe word, Cait. " Vi teased with a cheeky smile. Caitlyn rolled her eyes.

" Whatever. " the Sheriff mumbled.

Caitlyn couldn't do much besides watching Vi work on the injury that Vi herself had inflicted. _First you break my nose, now you want to help me. _Caitlyn exhaled as Vi carefully tended to the wound for a few more minutes in awkward silence._ I don't understand any of it, Vi._

Caitlyn had done everything in her power to dig up anything she could about Vi and Jinx's past. Yet she found nothing conclusive. It was almost as if before Vi and Jinx appeared in Piltover, they had never existed anywhere else. Almost. Caitlyn had one lead. Jinx's clothes. It was reported to have been of Zaun origin. It was a long shot, but Zaun may have the answers Caitlyn sought for. The only problems were that Zaun was no ally of Piltover, and with Viktor seemingly trying to take over the world, this case had to be put on hold…for now.

Caitlyn took one last glance at the pinkette whose face hovered much too close to her for comfort. Suddenly their eyes caught each other. For a moment, Caitlyn thought she saw a slight twinkle in Vi's beautiful lavender eyes. But Vi had quickly averted her eyes, pulling herself away.

" That should do it. " Vi muttered as she put away the medical supplies.

" Think I'll still be pretty after this? " Caitlyn asked before she could stop herself. _Gosh,_ _I can't believe I just said that._

" I _only _did this to save that pretty face, so yeah. " Vi growled, slamming the med kit shut.

" Maybe next time you shouldn't break it then. " the Sheriff remarked icily, getting up from her seat.

" Well maybe if that face didn't belong to such a_ bitch_…" Vi hissed back, closing the distance between them as if to threaten Caitlyn.

" Hey, I'm not the one who stabbed my girlfriend in the back! "

" The fuck I did! _You're_ the one who betrayed _me_! "

" Only because _you _betrayed me first! "

" When the flying fuck did I- "

" V-Vi! " a familiar voice interrupted.

Vi and Caitlyn turned their attention to a blonde woman who stood by the stairs. Holly had a frightened look on her face.

" W-We've nearly arrived at the Ironspike Mountains. " she reported.

Vi exhaled angrily before responding. " Bout damn time. " Vi snatched back her drink and gulped it down before heading for the exit.

" Vi wait! " Holly cried after her. " There's something else you should know. " she added as her face darkened.

Vi sensed that something had gone terribly wrong. " Sounds important. " she said as her eyes narrowed.

" Yes, well… Comms with the mining facility is down. " Holly responded grimly. "We can't contact the Piltovian miners there. "

" Viktor? " Vi wondered aloud, rubbing her chin. _Had that bastard gotten here first?_

" Could be. " Caitlyn nodded her head in agreement.

" Guess we'll have to find that out the _hard_ way." Vi smirked, loving the thought of being able to beat the crap out of Viktor's rusty ass_. _

" Then you'll need these. " Holly smiled as she wheeled in a large, silver briefcase. As she revealed its contents, words failed Vi.

"A-ar…"

" We had to clean it up for the most part, but it's in good shape overall. "

" …y-you"

" To be fair, it was Janna and co. who picked it up. "

" Are you _serious_ right now!? " Vi exclaimed as her eyes brimmed with glee.

The pinkette rushed to pick up the contents of the briefcase like a child who just got a new toy.

_Muh precious!_

Vi donned her beloved hextech equipment, two huge metal gauntlets now encasing her fists. She threw a couple of practice punches, just to make sure everything was in order. It felt smooth, almost as if it was brand new. Smiling like an idiot, she turned to look at Caitlyn, expecting the woman to match her excitement. Caitlyn merely snorted.

Vi switched her attention to Holly. " You're a freakin' godsend, gurl! " she yelled ecstatically, hugging the blondie and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

" I didn't do anything, though. " Holly giggled.

" Nothin' besides blindin' me with your beauty, you mean! " Vi chuckled as she spun around with Holly in her arms.

" Wow. Worst line ever. " Caitlyn scoffed, unimpressed.

" Well, that's just like, your opinion, pal. " Vi laughed, shrugging.

" I'm….gonna….hurrrl…"

Vi stopped spinning and put Holly back on the ground, noticing that the blondie was almost about to puke. " Woops, sorry about that."

Out of the corner of her eye, Vi saw Caitlyn sneering at her, making Vi flush in embarrassment.

_Dammit._

" Anyway, since we're pretty much walking into a warzone, we should assemble a combat-ready team. " Caitlyn suggested.

" Alright. _I'll_ go. " Vi replied, confident that she was enough to get the job done." The rest of you should keep watch from the sky and keep in contact with me via radio. "

" I'll go too. " Caitlyn declared, grabbing her rifle that had been lying on the ground beneath her.

" You're injured Cait, just leave this to me. " Vi rejected, shaking her head.

" It's just a scratch. I'll live. " Caitlyn insisted, planting her foot firmly onto the ground.

" If you say so…" Vi mumbled uncertainly. Caitlyn's nose was broken, albeit not out of position. It'd heal without a problem if Caitlyn just got some rest. If she wasn't careful, it could turn out a lot worse. But Caitlyn knew the stakes. Vi just had to make sure to do most of the work and let Caitlyn rest as much as she could. " Just stay close to me and you'll be fine. "

" _You_ don't need to _babysit _me." Caitlyn growled, glaring at Vi.

" Get over yourself. It's not for you, it's for Piltover." Vi responded bluntly, pointing at Piltover in the horizon.

" Do what you want. " Caitlyn relented, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration.

" Always do. " Vi replied with a mischievous smile.

* * *

Caitlyn peered through the scope of her rifle, scanning the mining facility in the distance.

" See anythin'?" Vi asked, arms folded over her chest in boredom.

" What I _don't _see is any burn marks from lasers and missiles, so I doubt Viktor was here. " Caitlyn answered, lowering her rifle and turning around to look at Vi. " But I also don't see any guards or drones that should be stationed there either. "

" Bandits, then? " Vi considered, recalling how she had once attempted to raid this very mining facility back in her criminal days. " They _do _try their luck from time to time. "

" Possible. We'll need to take a closer look. " Caitlyn told Vi as she began to head for the facility.

" Wait! Over there! " Vi whispered to Caitlyn, grabbing her arm and turned her towards an open landscape. " D'you see that?"

Caitlyn brought her rifle back up and peered through the scope once more. She saw a platoon of armed soldiers surrounding a group of miners and guards. The sound of gunshots rang as several miners and guards fell onto the ground. Caitlyn studied the killers. Her eyes widened in shock as she realised who they were. " _Zaunites!?_ " she muttered in disbelief. _What were they doing all the way out _here_?!_

" I'm goin' in. Cover me! " Vi yelled to the Sheriff as she sprinted to the location. Caitlyn steadied her rifle and took aim. Vi made it there within minutes, charging up her hextech gauntlets and then letting them launch her towards the first Zaunite in sight. The other Zaunites unloaded their magazines at her, but Vi was protected by her Blast Shield, a shield that converted the energy released by Vi's gauntlets into a force-field that enveloped Vi's body. The sound of gunshot rang out as a Zaunite's head seemingly exploded upon impact with Caitlyn's bullet.

_And she tells _me _to take it easy. _Vi continued to make quick work of the remaining Zaunites, killing all but one of them in order to question him. " Alright, pal, we can do this the hard way or- " but Vi was interrupted as the Zaunite shot himself in the head. " –or you can just puss out like a bitch. Fuck." Vi said as she spat on the man.

She spun around, hoping to see if any of the Piltovians had made it out alive. Unfortunately, the miners had all already been killed. Caitlyn arrived on the scene moments later, where she saw Vi kneeling next to a dead miner.

" Did you know him? " Caitlyn asked, sensing that Vi and the man had been friends.

" Yeah…his name was Matt. He was always up for a pint. Anytime, anywhere. Despite being a 'miner', y'know? " Vi joked dryly. " Well, he's not gonna have any more, though. " she said as she got up from her knees. " If these Zaunite retards are still here taking out the guards, then that means the rest of them should be close by. "

" What do you think they're here for?" Caitlyn asked Vi. " Zaun has their own mines. Why here? "

" Death wish, far as I'm concerned. " Vi replied, feeling her blood boil.

Then Caitlyn realised. " They want the same thing we do…enough techmaturgy for an army! "

" Seems like Viktor's after Zaun, too. " Vi said, seeing Caitlyn's point.

" Think they might be interested in teaming up with us to beat Viktor? " Caitlyn asked sceptically.

" Are you fuckin' kiddin'? Look at this! Does this look like an alliance offer to you? " Vi bellowed, pointing at Matt.

" Just a thought, grumpy. " Caitlyn mumbled bitterly, biting her lip.

" I'll take a look inside the facility to see if there's any more of these assholes. " Vi told Caitlyn. " You keep a lookout from here and make sure no one leaves or enters."

" Fair enough. " Caitlyn agreed, scanning her surroundings for a favourable sniping spot.

The two parted ways as Vi entered the mining facility.

The mining facility was huge, even larger than Vi had remembered from her previous visit. _They grow up so fast these days._ Vi sighed as she realised searching the facility would take a while.

Vi spent the next few minutes searching the first quarter of the facility. Nothing. Just as she was about to leave for the next area, Vi heard a voice that was all too familiar for her.

" Vi!"

Vi looked around and grinned as she saw a female miner with short, red hair running up to her.

" Rachel! " Vi exclaimed, taking off her gauntlets and rushing to embrace the miner. Rachel and Vi shared a minute-long hug before Rachel finally said to Vi, "I'm so glad you're here! These Zaunites appeared outta nowhere and…and…I-I didn't know what to do and…"

" Hush, gurl. 'Tis fine. Everythin's gonna be fine. " Vi soothed, stroking the miner's back. Vi smiled as she felt the woman relax at her touch. Rachel wasn't one of her 'girlfriends'. She was her best friend. One might even call them sisters. Vi's life had changed drastically the day she met Rachel. Vi felt herself remembering that pivotal moment in her life.

* * *

11 years ago, Ironspike Mining Facility.

" This wasn't what you promised, Charcoal! " a 17 year old Vi snarled, shaking her fists. " These people weren't supposed to be harmed! "

" Oh boohoo, Vi. " 'Charcoal', the crime boss of Vi's gang sniggered. " Tell you what. I don give shit, I don give a fuck. So you shut your mouth. " he ordered, flicking back his long, charcoal-black hair.

" We don't kill, only steal. That was what you told us! " Vi roared at the man who was almost twice her age and twice her size, although only half as strong.

" We didn kill anyone. Those rocks did. " Charcoal replied defensively, pointing at the collapsed mine that was the result of the raid.

" Don't _fuck_ with me, Charcoal. " Vi barked, approaching Charcoal menacingly. " If you don't want me to punch you in the tit and break your ribs, you better agree to help these people. "

Charcoal visibly gulped, seeing Vi's eyes burning with fury. But he wouldn't back down. He was a criminal overlord. He wasn't about to be ordered around by some lowly underling. " You wanna help these people? Then that's your problem. Don go bringing the rest of us into your wannabe heroism." he retorted. He then turned around to face the rest of his crew. " If any of y'all wanna be a hero, you can join Vi over here. Just know that the Piltover Patrol will be here in a few hours and y'all are gonna get caught and thrown in jail. Also, good luck trying to pry these people free from tons of rocks. "

The offer was met with zero enthusiasm as the rest of the crew knew it wasn't worth the trouble.

Charcoal turned back to face Vi. " Come on, Vi. It ain wurf. If you wanna try be a hero, go ahead. But the rest of us are outta here. " Charcoal said as he led his crewmembers out of the mining facility.

Vi said nothing as she stayed rooted to the spot.

As her gang left her all alone, Vi stared at the collapsed tunnel. _What the flyin' fuck am I tryin' to do here? Be a hero? Face it, Vi. You're strong, but no way can you punch through a wall of rocks. Those pesky coppers will be here soon and they can get these people out. I can just leave it to them. _Vi shook her head as she realised how worthless it would be to try and help the poor miners. _Why do I even bother? _

" Hmfme!" a muffled voice crept out of the mines.

Vi rushed over to the pile of stone, despite what she had just mulled over. " What? I can't hear you!" she yelled, pressing her ear against the rubble.

" Help us! We're….we're trapped in here!" a girl cried from the other side.

Something flipped inside Vi. She knew there was something unacceptable about leaving these miners behind, though she didn't know what exactly. Now she did.

_Kelly._

Vi moved at almost divine speed as she tossed some rocks away from the rubble. " Imma get you out! Is everyone alright in there?" Vi shouted as she threw a heavy rock aside.

" Most of us are only slightly brusied, but…m-my father, he…he's hurt, real bad." The girl said, voice cracking as she mentioned her father. " Can you hurry, please!? "

" I'm goin' as fast as I can, darlin'!" Vi answered truthfully. Not a single fibre of her being wasn't focused on shoving rocks away.

As Vi tossed away more rocks, a rock from above the pile rolled down, making a loud thud as it hit Vi's head.

" Ugh! "

Vi felt her head spin slightly as it landed on her skull. She shook it off. Fresh blood poured from her head, trickling down her left cheek. But Vi couldn't care less. _I have to save them. I have to._ She continued to try and clear the debris.

More rocks fell down on her body.

Again, she didn't let it faze her.

Then, she met another problem. A huge boulder blocked her path. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make it budge in the slightest. _Fuck. How do I move this motherfucker? _ Vi then realised she was in a mining facility, for crying out loud. _How did I _not _think of this first? _She slapped herself due to her sheer stupidity.

" Where's the machinery in here that you guys use to dig and stuff? " Vi asked the trapped girl.

" Near here, there should be a robotic mining rig. You can use that! Just bring it here and activate it. It'll know what to do. " the girl answered.

" Gotcha! " Vi yelled as she dashed to find the robot. _Where is it, where is it, where is it? Come on, come on! _Vi searched around frantically, looking for anything that even slightly resembled a machine.

Her eyes caught sight of a metallic gauntlet, and her heart sank. The robot was there, but it was crushed under a landslide. Only a few pieces of it was unharmed. _Nononono, this can't be happenin'. There...there's gotta be a way! Think,you sorry excuse for a brain! Think!_

Vi examined the destroyed robot. It's hands were unharmed for the most part. Seeing that, a crazy idea popped up in Vi's head which brought a wicked grin to her face. _Oh brain I love ya._

Vi expertly dismantled the robot, wrenching off its huge fists. _Now how the fuck do I put these on?_ Vi tinkered with the equipment, using everything she had ever learned from stealing and dismantling hextech hardware to full effect. Almost miraculously, Vi managed to turn them into makeshift hextech gauntlets within minutes.

Vi made haste, racing towards the collapsed tunnels.

" Can you hear me!? " she bellowed, readying her fists.

" Y-Yes!" the trapped girl yelled in answer.

" Listen closely, alright! Imma need you and everyone else to get as far as you can from my voice. "

" What happened to the robo-"

" No time! Just do it! "

A few seconds passed in silence.

" Ready!" the girl screamed, trying to make up for the new distance between her and Vi.

Vi threw a punch at the huge boulder. Nothing.

She threw another one. A crack.

_Third time's the charm! _Vi then delivered the most vicious punch she had ever thrown yet. It blasted the boulder into smithereens. It also broke the final barrier between the miners and freedom.

The miners cheered in joy as they celebrated their freedom. They eagerly exited the tunnel. Except for one lone girl and a man.

" Dad! We're saved! " the girl cried, clutching her father's hand.

Vi recognised the voice to be that of the girl she had conversed with earlier. Vi saw that the girl was about the same age as she was. She also saw the father.

" Help me get him up! " the girl cried.

" Darlin'…" Vi said softly.

" Now! "

" 'Tis…no use. " Vi said, shaking her head.

The man's body was crushed under the debris. Only his right arm and leg was visible.

" I'm sorry…" Vi apologised, feeling guilt ridden for the father's death.

" NO!" the girl screamed as she pounded the debris above her father's lifeless body. " NO! NO! "

Even though Vi had just punched through a gigantic boulder, she felt extremely powerless. There was nothing she could do to ease the pain of the girl right in front of her very eyes. No fist was strong enough to punch away the pain of losing a loved one.

"no…" the daughter whimpered, banging her head against the piles of stone now.

" Hey, stop that! " Vi shouted, taking off her makeshift gauntlets and grabbing hold of the wailing girl.

" Let go! " she shrieked, trying to wriggle free from Vi's grip. " My father! My father he…!"

Vi pulled the girl into a warm hug.

" Hush, gurl. 'Tis fine. Everythin's gonna be fine. " Vi soothed, gently rubbing the girl's back.

Vi maintained the hug for as long as the girl needed.

" Thank you…" the girl said, barely in a whisper.

" Let's get you outta here…"

" I….I still have to bury him…"

Vi understood her meaning. " When the police get here, they'll take care of all that. " Vi wasn't about to let the poor girl see her father's crushed body.

The girl responded with a subtle nod.

" Name's Vi, by the way. " Vi said cordially, beaming.

Vi's contagious grin brought a faint smile on the girl's face. " I'm…Rachel…"

It was later that Vi learned Rachel's mother had long abandoned her, and that her father was her only guardian. As such, Vi dedicated herself to becoming Rachel's family, doing her best to provide Rachel company, comfort and protection. It came as no surprise that the two girls grew to become best friends. Even though Rachel told Vi that this was enough, Vi couldn't help but feel that she had to make Charcoal pay somehow.

After two years of upgrading her hextech equipment, Vi finally took revenge on Charcoal and his entire gang. Vi destroyed pretty much everything Charcoal owned, including his annoying hair and dignity. She didn't kill Charcoal or his crew, although to say that they escaped unharmed was a massive understatement. Charcoal was sent to prison, where he told the Sheriff, Caitlyn, of how Vi was once a criminal just like him, in order to ruin Vi's life just as she had ruined his. The plan backfired as Caitlyn saw the potential Vi had due to Vi's heroism and instead gave her a position as Deputy.

And the rest was history.

* * *

Present day, Ironspike Mining Facility.

" I know 'thas been a rough day, but...I need to know what happened. " Vi told Rachel reluctantly, seeing that Rachel was still shaken.

Rachel took a few deep breaths to compose herself before answering. " Zaunites appeared at our doorstep all of a sudden and stormed through our defences. Before we knew it, they had….taken over the facility."

" Must've been a lot of 'em if they managed to break through our defences so easily. " Vi remarked, glancing at the facility that was well fortified.

" There were just too many, I'm sorry. " Rachel said in apology.

" Hey, you don't have to apologise for anythin'!" Vi corrected her. " 'Tis those Zaunites that'll need to beg for forgiveness once I get my hands on 'em! " Vi said with a wicked smile.

Rachel managed a brief laugh, before leading the way to the mining tunnels.

It didn't take long before they came across a band of Zaunite miners and soldiers. There were about a dozen of them, which Vi disposed of quite easily.

However, one Zaunite mustered up the strength to pull her gun's trigger one last time, shooting Rachel in the gut.

" RACHEL!" Vi yelled as she crushed the Zaunite who had shot the miner. Vi then rushed over to Rachel's side, who was now lying on the floor, slowly bleeding out.

" Just relax, alright, you're gonna be fine. I know how to treat this! " Vi assured her best friend, taking off her gauntlets and holding Rachel's hand. _Alright, Vi, you got this! You can do this!_

" You can't save me, Vi…." Rachel muttered through shallow breaths.

" I can, I've treated this kind of wound before, I know how to-"

" …just like how you couldn't save my father."

Vi paused. " …Rachel?"

" You took away someone I loved, so I wanted to do the same." Rachel said bitterly, her fingernails digging into Vi's hands. " But you know what your problem is, Vi? You don't have anyone that loves you. "

Vi said nothing as blood seeped from her hands. Rachel's tone was completely different from what Vi was used to hearing from her.

" I had to make one myself. " Rachel continued.

Vi's eyes widened in horror as she realised what Rachel meant by that. _You can't be fuckin' serious, Rachel._

Seeing Vi's reaction, Rachel smirked. " You thought I was your _family_? Are you _crazy?_" she laughed, despite her injury.

" Then…these Zaunites…" Vi said as another realisation struck her.

" I let them in so they could kill me before your very eyes. " Rachel replied through gritted teeth. "Just like how you killed my father in front of me. "

Vi gritted her teeth.

"Holding a grudge against me is fine and dandy, but why'd you have to bring Piltover into this!?" Vi bellowed, boiling with fury as she recalled how Matt and the others had been cruelly executed by the Zaunites.

" When you killed my father, you destroyed my world." Rachel answered venomously. " Now I'll destroy yours."

" You…" Vi said, her voice dangerously low. " I saved your _**life**_! I _**protected**_ you! I _**cared **_for you!" she exploded, crushing Rachel's hand under her grip. " And _**THIS **_is how you repay me?!"

" You murdered my father!" Rachel retorted, ignoring her destroyed hand. " So yes, this _is _how I repay you! "

Vi didn't know what she was about to do, but one thing she knew for sure:

She hated Rachel.

Vi let go of the miner and balled up her fists. " Go meet your daddy in hell, bitch. "

Before Rachel could say anything in return, Vi assaulted her from every possible direction. Jaw, throat, nose, temple, ribs, stomach, spleen, liver and kidneys; nowhere was safe from Vi's fists.

Vi didn't care that Rachel was like a sister to her.

She didn't care that she had trusted Rachel.

She didn't care that this was the second time someone she loved had betrayed her.

All Vi cared about was bashing Rachel's brains out.

* * *

Caitlyn watched as the 'Tailwind' crew loaded minerals into crates, which they later wheeled into the airship. _Can we really equip entire armies with just this much? _Caitlyn sighed, feeling pessimistic. It was times like these when Vi would crack some stupid joke like " 'If you're feeling pessimistic, 'tis probably a result of all the 'minus' here' " to lift everyone's spirits, but that seemed unlikely given the state Vi was in when she had returned from the mining facility. Vi had blood all over her, and her eyes were cold and distant.

Caitlyn didn't know what was bothering Vi but she knew that it was not her place to ask. Not anymore. Caitlyn looked to her left, where Vi sat on a bench. Vi was hunched over, head down and eyes closed. Beside Vi was Janna, who, in Caitlyn's place, was checking up on her.

Caitlyn exhaled. _I suppose I should at least find out what happened in there._ She walked over to the pinkette, catching Janna's attention. The pilot rose from the bench and hurried over to stop Caitlyn from getting close to Vi.

" I don't think you should be anywhere near her, Cait." She whispered. " She's….had a rough time, and I doubt you're going to make her feel better. "

Caitlyn raised an eyebrow at that, her concern growing. " Seriously, Janna, what happened? "

Janna walked Caitlyn out of Vi's earshot before continuing. " You know how there weren't a lot of Zaunites in there? "

" What about it?" Caitlyn asked. The small number of Zaunites that managed to take over a mining facility as big as this had certainly struck her as odd.

" Well, it seems they had help from the inside." Janna replied, clenching her fist. " It was Rachel, Cait."

Caitlyn's jaw dropped in shock. " _What? " _Caitlyn knew who Rachel was, having met her before. It was difficult not to have seen her since Vi and Rachel lived in the same house. Caitlyn also knew how dearly Vi held Rachel. They were practically family.

" I know, it doesn't make sense. " Janna said, knowing what was probably going through Caitlyn's mind. " I don't have the details. All Vi told me was that: 'She betrayed me'. "

_Which is why _I_ shouldn't be near VI right now, because _I_ betrayed her too. _Caitlyn glanced over to Vi, who hadn't moved an inch. _But screw that._ Caitlyn stormed over to Vi.

" So is this the deal?" Caitlyn snarled, grabbing Vi by the collar. " You're going to just sit there feeling sorry for yourself while Jayce and the others are all fighting for their lives and our homes!?"

Vi didn't utter a word in response.

" We need you to start working on those weapons, Vi. You're the weapons specialist here. You're the only one. " Caitlyn added, letting Vi go.

" Cait! " Janna cried. " Please! She needs some time to-"

" Nah, the Sheriff's right. " Vi said as she shot up from her seat. " Viktor's not gonna sit around waiting for me to finish moping. I'll get to it then. " she said as she returned to the airship.

Caitlyn and Janna stood there for a few more minutes after Vi had left.

"…Do you think I did the right thing? " Caitlyn said after a long silence.

" For Piltover, maybe. " Janna exhaled, bringing her hands to her waist. " But for Vi? After what happened with you and Jinx? After this? There's only so much a person can _take_, Cait. And no matter how you slice it, Vi _is_ still human. "

Caitlyn didn't respond. Caitlyn knew Vi was a tough gal. Hardly anything fazed her. But everyone had limits. And it seemed that for Vi, her breaking point was closing in.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Apologies for the long wait. I finally kicked my lazy ass into gear :P

* * *

Chapter 3: Vi stands for Vincible

Caitlyn looked out the window. Snowy mountains covered the landscape. They had apparently reached the Freljordian border, near what was once the Ice Witch Lissandra's territory. She turned her sights to the laboratory door. The Tailwind crew had managed to set up a makeshift laboratory for Vi to do her work. Caitlyn was currently standing in front of said lab. She could hear the loud banging of metal from within. _Vi's at work, alright. _Caitlyn thought, recognising those sounds. She recalled how she had fought for Vi's laboratory in the past, and how that particular lab had been taken away from Vi due to her murderous actions. _Vi murdered Jinx…why? _Caitlyn wondered for the millionth time. _Maybe I'd have found out by now if I hadn't acted like a total prick back then. _She cursed herself. Vi was literally begging her to listen but she didn't. Some friend she was. Even now, she had told Vi to suck it up when Rachel, practically Vi's family, had betrayed her. Caitlyn groaned. _Am I some kind of devil? Gosh…_

But right now was the time. Time to make things right. She would go in there, look Vi straight in the eye, and apologise for being a shitty excuse for a human being. Well, assuming Vi wouldn't punch her guts out first, that is. Caitlyn rubbed her nose, still a little sore from Vi's nose-breaking jab. _Maybe I should give her some space…?_ Caitlyn vigorously shook her head. _NO_. She tried that already. And it only made things worse. In fact, that was the cause of her nose breaking in the first place. She had to be brave. She had to have resolve. She had to remember that this wasn't for her. It was for Vi. With that in mind, Caitlyn took a deep breath. She planted her foot firmly into the ground. She grabbed that bitch of a doorknob and-

The door had opened itself before Caitlyn could do anything. Vi was now right in front of her. And gosh was she looking hot, sweating in that greasy white tank top and hextech gear. But Caitlyn had to focus. Apology. Scum of the Earth. Let's do this. Caitlyn opened her mouth to speak but Vi cut her off. " I'm not finished workin', if that's what you're wonderin'." Vi said with a frown. Caitlyn tried to answer but Vi interrupted once again. " If 's okay with you, _Sheriff,_ I'd like to grab a bite to eat cos I haven't eaten for the whole day." _'Sheriff'. _When Vi spitefully said that word, Caitlyn felt herself stiffen. It never carried a good vibe, not from her. Caitlyn tried to summon her courage from before, but it was lost. "….yeah…" Caitlyn managed lamely.

Hearing that rather unsatisfying answer, Vi began making her way to the cafeteria. As Caitlyn watched her go, her heart wrenched in pain. She spun around, facing Vi. "Vi!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, causing Vi to jump a little. "I'm-"

_KRAKOOOM!_

The Tailwind shook violently. Caitlyn and Vi struggled to keep their balance. Vi glanced around, watching for any sign of damage. "The fuck was that?" she wondered aloud. Caitlyn shrugged, "Maybe we were struck by lightning or something." All of a sudden, the wall behind them exploded, causing rapid decompression. Caitlyn and Vi desperately held onto whatever they could find as the sudden change in pressure threatened to suck them out of the airship. Looking outside, Caitlyn caught sight of a being that stood at least 200 metres tall, made almost purely of red energy and equipped with armour that made up most of its shape. It blasted a few more shots at the Tailwind, causing the airship to rattle and shake drastically.

" 'S one of Viktor's machines!" Vi yelled, holding onto the walls of the airship with her hextech gauntlets. "Cait, go get Ziggs and tell him to fuck that bitch up!"

Caitlyn nodded, but could barely move a step. With the rapid decompression sucking her outwards, the sudden coldness of high altitudes (especially in the Freljord) along with the decreased supply of oxygen, she wasn't doing so hot. What's worse, Caitlyn didn't have Vi's superhuman body, and was actually losing out to the suction and hypoxia. Bit by bit, she was being dragged closer and closer to the edge. "I…can't..!" Caitlyn squeaked as hypoxia began creeping up on her, making her slowly lose consciousness. She tried to hold on, onto the airship and onto her consciousness.

But she failed at both.

* * *

Vi's blood ran ice cold when Caitlyn's unconscious body was sent careering into the open air. Without thinking of her own safety, Vi leapt out of the airship and went after her. Tucking in her limbs to streamline her body, Vi began to catch up to Caitlyn. When Vi was close enough, she reached her hand out to Caitlyn. Using her hextech gauntlet's targeting systems, she locked onto Caitlyn. Vi then activated the tracking system, which dragged her towards the unconscious woman. Thankfully, Vi managed to grab a hold of Caitlyn, but now there was that other problem. Both of them were falling from at least 20,000 feet. Vi had to make it back to the airship, lest she'd rather risk an unprotected free fall.

Catching sight of the Tailwind, Vi gritted her teeth. _Here goes nothin'._ Vi held Caitlyn with her right hand while charging up her left gauntlet. She needed maximum force to reach the airship. No, she needed even more than that. At least double of that. In her mind, Vi began counting the seconds. _1…2…3…4…_Four seconds was the maximum duration the gauntlet could charge up. That is, without hurting the user. _Not yet…5….6…7…! _The gauntlet began overheating, literally burning the skin off of Vi's hand. _8!_ All the charged up power was converted into kinetic energy as it flung both Vi and Caitlyn straight towards the Tailwind.

Punching through the airship activated Vi's blast shield. Thus, they crashed somewhat safely into the airship's cafeteria. Vi clenched her teeth in agony as she began to feel the searing pain of her burnt hand. _Fuckin' hell! _Vi could tell that it was at least a 2nd degree burn that she was suffering from. But she had to fight through the pain, she had to get Caitlyn to Janna for healing. Out of nowhere, three missiles threatened to murder Vi. The Enforcer punched the missiles down, causing them to explode. Vi's blast shield protected her from the harmful combustions. However, she was fighting with an injured arm, and the pain was starting to get to her. Still, where did those missiles come from? Vi wondered.

As if to answer her question, one of Viktor's robots, the kind that looked like a crabman, appeared in front of her. It then dawned on Vi, that the assailant from before was not just mindlessly bombarding the Tailwind, it was actually transporting soldiers onto the airship. _Viktor, you are one cunning sumbitch._ The crab robot lifted its weaponised arm and began shooting emerald-green projectiles at Vi and Caitlyn. Vi evaded the attacks, all the while carrying Caitlyn with the uninjured hand. Caitlyn was still unconscious and she might stay that way forever if Vi didn't get her to Janna.

The killer robot was relentless in its attacks, alternating between its missiles and its cannons, using one while the other was reloading. Vi bobbed and weaved, inching her way closer to the robot to deliver a punch to its hideous face. Gradually, she got close enough to launch her attack. But the machine swiftly activated its shield, blocking the punch. It then retaliated with a missile. Vi barely got her fist up in time to block it. The force of the missile at such close proximity, though, caused Vi to get knocked back and lose her grip on Caitlyn, dropping the copper a few metres away.

_Shit! Cait! _Vi reached out for her with her right hand, but that merely gave Viktor's robot an opening. It shot out a corrosive charge towards Vi's outstretched hand, unleashing a corroding acid upon impact. The corrosion was highly effective against Vi's metal gauntlet, greatly deteriorating its armour. The robot immediately followed up with a barrage of missiles. Vi tried to dodge them, but they wouldn't relent. They homed in on Vi's corroded gauntlet, attacking it from all directions. The missiles were successful in tearing off the gauntlet's weakened armour and exposing its interior. While the gauntlet could still punch, it wouldn't be able to block tons of damage. Vi grimaced, realising that she might have underestimated the robot, thinking that she could fight him and protect Caitlyn simultaneously. No, she had to commit herself to this fight or it would be lost.

Vi lunged for the robot, closing the gap between them in an instant. The robot raised its weapons, but Vi had predicted that. She slid to its right side, delivering a massive body shot with her left gauntlet. The machine then tried to activate its shield, but Vi caught it on the side of the head with a crushing haymaker, effectively stunning it. Next, Vi threw a left hook to its head, followed by a right, another left and finally a devastating right uppercut that launched its body sky high.

Knockout.

Vi rushed over to Caitlyn and gingerly lifted her up. With Caitlyn in her hands, Vi sped across the airship until she reached the Command Bridge. There, Janna had her hands glued to the wheel, desperately trying to disengage from the fight. "Janna!" Vi hollered. Janna turned around. Her face relaxed at the sight of her two friends. "Vi! Cait! Thank goodness you two are alright!" she cried. "Cait needs some healing!" Vi yelled, laying Caitlyn down on the floor next to the pilot. Janna glanced over and saw Caitlyn's unconscious body. "Vi, take the wheel." She ordered. Vi gently placed Caitlyn on the floor before taking control of the ship. Janna immediately began healing Caitlyn with soothing winds. A few seconds later, she finished the treatment. "Alright, Vi. Your turn." She said, gesturing Vi to lay down. "Naw, I'm good. You just focus on getting this airship to safety." Vi refused, waving her off. "How? This airship _itself_ isn't safe. It's depressurised, there are holes everywhere and on top of that, there some killer bots on the loose." Janna remarked, her gaze downcast as she spoke. "Not to mention that monster airship that keeps bombing us…"

"Don't worry, I got this." Ziggs assured Janna, showing her the Mega Inferno Bomb. He had apparently been working on it since the attack began. Seems it was finally ready. Vi let out a smirk. "Give 'em hell, Ziggs." She told him, to which he replied with maniacal laughter. "See, why can't _you_ be more positive, Jan? Ziggs has got it down pretty damn well." She said to Janna with a chuckle. "Heheh…maybe you're right. We'll make it through this, won't we Vi?" Janna replied with a giggle. "Definitely." Vi answered confidently. "We're- _GARGGH!_"

Vi's right thigh was pierced by an oversized spearhead, spilling her crimson blood across the floor. But the worse had yet to come. The spearhead was barbed. It then retracted, hooking itself onto Vi's thigh. And with every hook was a line and a sinker. Thick metal chains represented the line for this hook. And the sinker just happened to be another one of Viktor's robots, the scorpion-esque one. _**"You're coming with me!"**_ it bellowed as it dragged Vi out of the Command Bridge and subsequently out of the airship, into the open sky. "VI!" Janna cried. But she could only watch in horror as the two figures began plummeting to the ground. Until a loud crash was heard. Then…nothing.

* * *

Caitlyn opened her eyelids groggily, awakening from a deep slumber. She was lying down on what she guessed was the metallic floor of the Tailwind. The floor was a bit wet. But not with oil or water, something else. It was somewhat familiar, but Caitlyn couldn't quite put her finger on it. Seeing the crimson liquid, she finally remembered what it was. It was blood. _What in the world happened…? _Caitlyn wondered. The last thing she remembered was falling out of the Tailwind, and Vi… "VI!" Caitlyn shrieked, jolting upwards and instantly making it back to her feet. Caitlyn hadn't forgotten. She was barely conscious, but she clearly recalled Vi jumping out of the airship to catch her. _What happened to her? Is she okay? Is she with me now?_ Caitlyn pondered. She examined her surroundings frantically, searching for any sign of her Enforcer. She was in the Command Bridge, but there was no sign of Vi anywhere. Instead, all she found was the Tailwind's pilot, Janna, and several Tailwind crewmen.

"Janna, where's Vi?" Caitlyn asked Janna. Janna's face darkened. She slowly turned around to face Caitlyn. She opened her mouth slightly, as if to answer. But she pursed her lips in reluctance, holding back whatever information she knew. "_Janna_…" Caitlyn said warily. "_Where is she_?" she pressed on. "Vi…" Janna began as a tear ran down her cheek. "She…she's" the pilot stammered. "She's gone…"

Caitlyn felt as though her heart had been ripped straight out of her chest. Her eyes widened and her lips tensed as she realised who the blood on the floor belonged to. She couldn't believe it. _Did Vi die in order to save __**me**__? A worthless scumbag like __**me**__? __**WHY!?**_Caitlyn gritted her teeth. "**I** SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE ONE TO DIE!" Caitlyn bellowed madly. Janna and the others cringed, having never seen this side of the Sheriff before. Caitlyn's blood was boiling with rage. She wouldn't forgive Viktor for this. She wouldn't forgive his robots for this. And she sure as hell wouldn't forgive _herself _for this. Her trigger finger itched. She wanted her rifle, and she wanted it _now._ Caitlyn made a wild dash for the exit. "Cait, hold on!" Janna pled. "Not _now_, Janna!"Caitlyn snapped, not even looking back. They were still too high up, with low oxygen levels. Without Janna's magic, Caitlyn was bound to faint soon. Janna casted a storm shield over Caitlyn, something that would provide her with oxygen and protection. But it wouldn't last forever. As Caitlyn exited the Command Bridge, Janna could only hope that the Sheriff would be kept out of harm's way. She didn't want to lose both her friends right after knowing they were safe. One was enough…

Caitlyn's rifle was in her room, which was the room closest to the cafeteria. And so that's where she was headed. Making her way to the cafeteria, she saw that there were three of those crab robots patrolling it. Caitlyn didn't know how they got on board, but she didn't care. They were robots. They were Viktor's. They would be annihilated. Normally, Caitlyn would try to sneak past them, but she wasn't thinking straight. So instead, she sprinted right through them and made a beeline for her room. Now all she needed to do was get her rifle and blast those three sorry suckers. Before she could enter it, however, she was suddenly halted by a suppressive force. In the next instant, she was teleported back to the cafeteria. Caitlyn was stumped. She didn't know what just happened, but she deduced that those robots were responsible. Caitlyn then saw that one of the three robots was standing right in front of her room, where she had been moments before. _Could it be…? A Hyper-Kinetic_ _Position Reverser! _Caitlyn concluded. As its name states, it was a type of equipment that allowed its user to swap places with any unit of its choosing. Caitlyn cursed. Now she'd never get to her room by sprinting, they'd all just shift her back to the cafeteria and guard the room door. If she had snuck past them like she usually would have done in these situations, she would have her rifle by now. But that opportunity was long gone, and the three robots were locked on to her. Caitlyn was defenceless.

The door to her room burst open abruptly, and a blonde woman emerged from it. It was Holly, who had Caitlyn's rifle in her hands. "Sheriff…catch!" the small woman cried as she used all her strength to throw the rifle towards the markswoman. The crab bot in front of Caitlyn's room saw Holly and raised its weapon to attack her. Caitlyn caught her rifle. But it was too late, the robot had already launched three missiles towards Holly. Reacting instantaneously, Caitlyn fired her 90-calibre-net at the missiles, catching them and causing them to combust away from Holly. "Holly, get down!" Caitlyn ordered, as she took aim and shot the killer robot in the head. Within the next second, Caitlyn had blasted off the ugly faces of the other two robots. This fight was finished. Yet Caitlyn didn't lower her gun. "More…" she hissed, shaking her rifle uncontrollably. "I need to destroy more!" She strode past Holly and further to the rear of the airship. Holly was visibly disturbed by the Sheriff's unusual demeanour. But she shook it off. Holly approached Caitlyn "Sh-Should I-" Caitlyn spun around and slapped Holly right across the mouth. "_Get lost._" Caitlyn growled. Holly stood there, stunned, as Caitlyn resumed walking.

The markswoman shot down each and every one of the robots that she came across. She used her superior range to her advantage, taking them out before they stood a chance. Even so, the airship was doing worse by the second, as the bombardment from Viktor's flying robot hadn't stopped. _I need a clear shot at that thing…_Caitlyn thought. She recalled being able to see the robot from the spot where she and Vi fell down. She raced back to the makeshift laboratory, hoping it was still intact. Once she made it there, she exhaled in relief. _Perfect._ The area was still intact and Caitlyn had a clear shot at the flying robot. She wasted no time lining up her sights and aiming for the robot's head. Slowly, she squeezed the trigger, firing her bullet.

However, Caitlyn failed to realise that there was already something on its way to the robot. By the time she saw it, it was too little too late. Her bullet was en route to intercepting what Caitlyn recognised as none other than Ziggs' Mega Inferno Bomb. _This isn't happening. _Caitlyn felt a vein pop as the Mega Inferno Bomb exploded a safe distance away from the flying robot. "BLOODY FUCK!" she screamed in frustration. She had just fucked up, once again. In her bloodlust, she had accidentally saved her enemy from her ally's attack. How did she not see the bomb coming? It was so easy to see and predict! Caitlyn exhaled deeply. No point having a mental breakdown. All she needed to do was fire another shot.

_Click._

"Bollocks…"

_Click. Click._

She was out of ammo.

"Oh, come on!" she lamented, banging her rifle senselessly. This was because she had gone on a mindless rampage before, shooting down robots unnecessarily. Now everyone aboard the Tailwind was thoroughly fucked. And it was all her damn fault.

* * *

Back in the Command Bridge, Janna was fighting her own battle, albeit another losing one. The Tailwind lurched and rattled violently. "Janna! That was our last engine!" the Tailwind's mechanic cried. Janna grimaced. She had no choice. "Everyone buckle up!" she ordered. "We're about to crash!" Everybody in the command bridge turned pale. Some held onto whatever they could find. Others hugged each other. Most gave up. But Janna wasn't one of the quitters. Mustering all her strength, she summoned the howling gale to prepare the airship for landing. Granted, she had never used her powers on such a huge scale nor was she in the best of shape, but she had to try. For those that fell in the line of duty. The airship wasn't stabilising, though. She had to try harder. Janna clutched her staff fiercely, making her knuckles go white. Every muscle in her body was tense. None of them had even the slightest of time to relax. The Tailwind slightly tilted upwards. _Yes!_ Janna cheered. She just had to keep it up. The airship would soon stabilise at this rate. But she failed to factor in Viktor's flying bombardier in her calculations.

The Tailwind was pelted with at least a dozen more blasts, destabilising it once more. _That thing's still alive? What happened, Ziggs!? _Janna had trusted Ziggs with taking down the robot, but it would seem that the Hexplosives Expert had failed. Things really looked bleak. Even if she managed to land safely, she'd have no strength left to fight off the robots. Yet even so…! She would not go down without a fight! _For those that died! _Janna reminded herself. _For those that died!_

The Tailwind stabilised itself once more, and was nearing the ground. It would be mere moments before it would begin landing. The bombardment was still ongoing, but Janna stabilised the airship after each and every blast. _For those that died!_ By now every fibre of her being was burning. Still, she continued. Until finally…

The airship landed.

Janna felt an enormous surge of happiness rush through her body. She had done it. The Tailwind was safe. Battered, but not obliterated. The remaining crew cheered for joy. Each elated to be alive. Janna beamed. This might have been the biggest accomplishment she'd ever achieved, maybe even more so than winning the annual Zeppelin Race. Fatigued, Janna took one last glance at the flying robot before falling into a deep sleep.

* * *

Vi was free-falling at approximately 20,000 feet. Well, actually she was tandem skydiving, her partner being that of a scorpion-esque robot. Vi pounded the spearhead as hard as she could but every punch only made the wound on her leg worse. "Aaarghh! Mother of FUCK!" Vi cursed. She was apparently a firm believer in the myth that swearing relieves pain. That and she was also just extremely pissed off. The scorpion bot reeled Vi in, drawing her towards the two massive saws on its hands. "Activating chain blades." It said with a robotic voice. Vi blocked the saws with her armoured left gauntlet. Her right gauntlet was thus committed to punching the robot's head. The bot, recognising the threat, bolstered its exoplating. "Reinforcing hull." It reported. True enough, Vi's punches were doing much less damage to it. Vi tried another approach: ripping its fucking head off. Vi grabbed its skull, trying to tear it off. However, this turns out to be a bad play as the stinger was still attached to her thigh. So the more she pulled, the more she strained her thigh. As a result, Vi knew what she had to do first. _This is gonna sting like a bitch. _

Vi grabbed the chains with her right gauntlet. She drew a deep breath. Vi tugged at the spearhead, causing its barbs to tear the flesh around her thigh. Fresh blood spurted over her clothes. Vi winced in pain. This just wasn't her day. She tugged harder and harder, slowly pulling out the spearhead. But of course, the scorpion bot wasn't going to just _let _her remove it. It shot its stinger through her thigh once more, sending her back to square one. Pain exploded from her thigh, making Vi writhe in agony. Pulling it out slowly wasn't an option. If she was going to get that stinger out, she'd need to take it out in one go. Vi took another deep breath. With a violent yank, she forcefully removed the spearhead from her thigh. Blood splattered across her shirt as she did so. Her thigh was now left with a bloody, gaping hole. It didn't take a genius to know that her right leg was useless now. Now that Vi was free of the stinger, the scorpion bot shot its stinger once again. But Vi saw it coming a mile away. She deflected it with her armoured gauntlet, and used her other fist to target the machine's head with her hextech targeting system. She deftly followed up with some classic assault and battery. Vi punched the robot upwards, and then back down. Thus began the 20,000 feet-high dunk: the Ultimate Dunk.

_GET…..!_

_FUCKIN'…!_

_DUNKED!_

**KATHOOOOMM!**

20,000 feet later, Vi slam-dunks Viktor's robot firmly into the cold, unforgiving dirt, creating an enormous crater in the ground. The force of the punch was converted into a blast shield, thus saving Vi from any possible injury. The robot, however, was mutilated beyond recognition. Vi smirked at that. Nothing better than a robot succumbing to an extreme beatdown. She scanned the sky, looking for any signs of the Tailwind.

It was there, but at the same time, it wasn't exactly _all _there. It was barely half of what it used to be, and for some reason, Viktor's flying robot was still bombarding them. Vi didn't know what happened, but it seemed like Ziggs had failed to blow it up. As a result, the airship was losing almost all of what was left of it and the same could be said for its altitude. It was definitely going to crash. Vi felt chills going down her spine. And not just due to the Freljord air. "Cait!" she screamed, albeit pointlessly. She tried to break into a sprint, but fell down as she had failed to consider the wound on her thigh. Vi cursed, trying to ignore the raging pain from her two injured limbs. Struggling, Vi made it back to her feet. "Cait!" she repeated, limping towards what Vi guessed was the estimated landing point.

But again, she was stopped. Only this time, it wasn't because of her. It was because the ground beneath her had exploded.

Vi was blasted upwards by an unusually powerful force, breaking a few of her ribs. Now soaring high in the air, she saw what seemed to be an 8 metre tall robot, which was built like a battle tank. It stood on two legs, had massive cannons coupled with equally huge elbow blades for hands, two enormous speakers attached to its shoulders, a tail, and an abnormally huge head. As she fell back to the ground, Vi tried to manoeuvre herself so as to land on her feet, but the cold had really seeped through her skin, causing her joints and muscles to stiffen. This ultimately caused Vi to fall flat on her chest. This knocked the wind out of her and further worsened her injured ribs. She moaned as pain swept throughout her body.

She hardly had a second to catch her breath before the ground rumbled beneath her. A second rupture was incoming. Knowing her muscles weren't exactly in prime condition, Vi charged up her right gauntlet for a moment before releasing it. The force drew her forward, evading the ruptured ground by the skin of her teeth. Vi staggered upright, spitting out blood from her mouth. Vi tried raising her fists, but only her right hand responded. Her left hand, which had been burned by her hextech gauntlet previously, had its nerves exposed and was thus more susceptible to frostbite. As a result it was way too numb for Vi to use. Also, her injured right thigh was losing blood fast, not exactly making her life any easier. Vi felt herself shivering. The Freljord chill was much more severe than she had expected. And her tank top and leather pants really weren't the best choice of gear for this weather. But the cold wasn't her worst enemy right now. An 8-metre tall killer robot? Definitely.

Vi limped forth, somehow determined to take out the gigantic robot with only half her limbs. "Missile bays open" the battle tank reported in a robotic voice similar to that of the scorpion's. Its shoulder pads next to its speakers were lifted, revealing a few dozen mini-missiles ready for take-off. And soon they were, making their way to Vi's position. Vi couldn't dodge it. She tried her utmost to deflect as many as she could. But with only one arm, and the cold making her slower, some missiles were bound to make it through her defences. Three escaped her wrath, and pierced her right shoulder straight through. It seemed that the missiles were not of the explosive variety and were designed for piercing. Sort of like a spike. Vi clenched her teeth. She wasn't about to go down. And even if she was, she'd go down swinging.

Even so, Vi knew she'd never be able to run up to the robot with her injured leg. So she targeted its head with her gauntlet, and subsequently activated the tracking system to drag her to the target. She was fast, sure. But not invulnerable, as the robot's missiles punctured numerous bloody holes on her body. But Vi wasn't fazed in the slightest. Soon, she was at the robot's head. There, she had one thing in mind. And one thing only: _Punch it_.

Vi unleashed hell, her right fist firing heavy punches like a machine gun, causing dent after dent after dent. But the robot wasn't going to take it lying down. It opened its massive jaws, threatening to feast on her bones. But this worked to Vi's advantage. She charged her fist up, and launched herself headlong into its mouth. The hextech fist broke through the back of its throat. This was apparently enough to take it down. The punch also provided Vi with a blast shield, protecting her from her 8-metre high drop.

Vi lay on the snow covered ground. She couldn't stand up. The Piltovian was completely spent. But somehow she dug deeper. Using her good arm and leg, she crawled. Inching herself closer to the Tailwind's estimated crash site. But even that meagre movement could last so long. Minutes later, she finally reached her physical limits. Her tank was empty. She couldn't even lift a finger. As she lay there, her right cheek facing the ground, her left eye saw something circling the sky above her. What was it? The Tailwind? No, it was too small. It was more like a bird. _Great, now some raptor's coming for my corpse. _Vi spat. It sucked, but she didn't think she had anything left to fend off even a little birdy. It was too cold, and her wounds spoke for themselves. The raptor landed beside her. And Vi expected it to start chewing on her thigh or something. But instead, she heard something completely unexpected.

"Knock, knock."


End file.
